Bishop says 'oppose the BNP'

Joe with The Bishop of Blackburn at The Big Day Out

It's been a week of controversy, controversy and more controversy.

After a BNP MEP was elected to represent the North West at the European Parliament, The Bishop of Blackburn, the Right Reverend Nicholas Reade, said the result was a "a bitter and bizarre day for our region."

The Bishop then called on Lancashire's Christians to actively oppose the BNP next time they were visiting the ballot box.

Meanwhile the Anglican Bishop of Lancaster described the proposed £80m world record transfer of Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid as "obscene." The Right Reverend Geoff Pearson was worried the big money transfers weren't being seen in the light of hardship players in the lower leagues are experiencing at this time.

Goodshaw Baptist Chapel stands between Rossendale and Burnley

We also heard from Baha'is in Lancashire who are supporting a campaign to release seven of their faith from an Iranian prison. The seven have been held without charge in Tehran's Evin prison. They have no access to their legal counsel as they are being held on suspicion of "spreading corruption on earth," which could result in capital punishment. Peter and Carole Fothergill from the Burnley Baha'i community told us their campaign had received support from the Prime Minister and the Archbishop of Canterbury. They told us their fellow Christians are being held for being practitioners of the Baha'i faith.

Both the Bishops were speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire at The Big Day Out held at King Edward VII and Queen Mary School in Lytham. The sun shone on well over 1,000 people, largely from the Blackburn Diocese,

The Big Day Out in Lytham is an annual event

who were enjoying a day of informal worship, displays, stage performances, craft demonstrations and all as a part of the celebrations of The Year Of The Child.

The Right Reverend John Goddard, the Bishop of Burnley, said the Big Day Out was appropriate in these financially difficult times.

Elsewhere in Lancashire, we took a tour round the Goodshaw Baptist Chapel which stands on the main road between Rossendale and Burnley.

This weekend they are celebrating 200 years of their Sunday School and next year they will celebrate their 250th anniversary of the church. We learned from Deacon Harry Sidebottom that their current building is not the original one which is nearby, the grounds of which are used as a cemetery.

The new kneelers at Wrea Green have taken nine years to make

We called in at St. John's and St. Philips Church in Nelson who are celebrating being awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. Each Thursday, ladies of the parish gather together to provide lunches for 60 parishioners, passers-by and staff.

We also met ladies from churches in Wrea Green who have spent the last nine years on an embroidery project to provide new kneelers for all the pews at a local church. This week the new kneelers went on display at St Nicholas in the village and very impressive they are too!

Joe Wilson